Pasta Dinner
by ZeAwesomeBirdie
Summary: When Romano, Canada, and Prussia walk up to Germany and Italy's house, they don't expect to have to face old trauma during dinner. One-shot, PruCanMano and GerIta, tw: rape mentions, panic attack


When Gilbert Beilschmidt rang the doorbell of his brother's house with his two boyfriends beside him, he was nervous. Ludwig's partner Feliciano Vargas was very traditional, and who knew how he would respond to learning his brother Lovino was in a relationship with Gilbert, who happened to also be in a relationship with Matthew Williams.

'Could be worse,' the albino thought to himself as they waited for their hosts to answer the door. 'Lovi could be in a relationship with both me _and_ Mattie.' He glanced at Lovino, who was engaged in a scathing argument with Matthew about wine, but both were talking as if they were discussing the weather.

Matthew's counter about the fruitiness of New Zealand style wine was interrupted by Ludwig opening the door.

"Gilbert. I did not realize you were bringing an additional friend," the blond said, looking over at Lovino curiously. Lovino, to his credit, glared right back.

"Actually, little brother, I would love for you to meet my boyfriend Lovi," Gilbert said loudly, putting an arm around Lovino, and causing Matthew to roll his eyes.

Feliciano, as Gilbert had planned, came bounding to the doorway from the living room, screeching the whole way: "Excuse me?! What did you just call mio fratello?!"

Ludwig held out an arm to stop the visibly upset country from leaping on Gilbert. "Calm down, bitte," he murmured in Feliciano's ear, and the brunette did calm some, but continued to mutter in italian under his breath.

At this point, Lovino was gripped tightly under Gilbert's left arm, and Matthew had his own tight grip on his boyfriend's other arm.

Trying to diffuse the situation as best he could, Matthew asked, "May we come in, or do you intend to have a picnic?"

With a tired smile, Ludwig pulled Feliciano back out of the doorway to let them pass through. Lovino was not happy with being released so that Gilbert could remove his coat, but settled for taking his hand immediately afterwards. Matthew glanced back at their hosts, who were quietly arguing back and forth, then took the initiative to lead his partner and Lovino to the living room.

"Are you ok, Lovi?" Gilbert asked as soon as they were down the hall, turning to look at him.

Lovino nodded, shuddering. "Why did I let you convince me to do this. Fuck you, Gilbert."

The albino smiled and kissed his cheek. Then he turned to Matthew and said, "Thanks birdie, you saved our asses."

"Just wait 'til dinner Gil," the blond said, looking at the floor with a smile. "That's what I'm worried for."

Lovino shuddered again. "Please don't remind me, Matthew, I already hate this, I want to go home."

"But home means you are away from me," Gilbert teased, looking back over. "Besides, Lud loves when me and birdie visit, he'll love you too!"

"Hey, you idiots may have forgotten this, but when the two of them first got together I threatened Ludwig each and every time he made Feliciano cry."

"They got together 80 years ago, Lovi, you have nothing to worry about!"

"Are you two forgetting what Feli might do when he finds out what happened with… uh… Spain?" Matthew interrupted cautiously.

Stiffening, Lovino squeezed Gilbert's hand so tightly the albino let out a squawk. "Oh damnit Gilbert I'm so sorry!" The italian dropped his hand, and Gilbert rubbed his knuckles with a grin.

"Do not worry, tonight we will get through everything. All three of us, together. We got this." He put both arms around them, and dragged them to the couch. "Come one, let's relax! This is little brother's house, we are guests!"

Shrugging to each other, Lovino and Matthew sat on either side of Gilbert. When Feliciano and Ludwig walked in a minute later, Lovino grabbed for his boyfriend's hand.

"How are things with the world, little brother?" Gilbert asked, grinning as his brother sat.

"Just fine. Actually, Feli has a request in regards to dinner." Ludwig motioned to his partner, who blushed and bounced on the edge of his seat.

"Lovi!" the italian exclaimed, "You should help me make pasta for dinner!"

Lovino's eyes widened in fear, then he felt Gilbert nudging him up. He glared back at him, then stood and nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Feliciano clapped his hands and bounced up to standing, then grabbed his brother's hand and dragged him into the kitchen.

"They are going to make such a mess," Ludwig sighed.

"Actually, when Lovi's cooked for us, he's been very good about cleaning as he goes," Matthew cut in, before Gilbert could say something.

Ludwig gave him a look, then asked slowly, "Is Lovino dating you too?"

"Oh no," said Matthew with a smile, "He just comes to my house a lot, because he and Gil are dating."

"I will not pretend to understand this, Gilbert," Ludwig said after a moment, "But putting this stress on the two of them, after Lovino refused to tell Feli what happened with Antonio Carriedo…. That was foolish."

Gilbert shrugged. "I thought it was a good idea, after all, they have had that tension since he refused to tell Feli what happened."

Nodding, Matthew added, "And Lovi keeps talking about how much he misses his brother, though he thinks we don't know it. He mutters it under his breath when he cooks, and I've managed to pick up enough italian to have noticed."

Looking in mock surprise at his guests, Ludwig finally said, "I hope you two are right. Feli often talks about how much he misses Lovino."

"It is settled then. Now, do they miss me at meetings? Is it time for a good old Prussian appearance?" Gilbert responded, grinning across the room at his brother. Matthew lightly hit his shoulder, but was also smiling.

"Only if Matt houses you," Ludwig said, completely deadpan. "You are not sleeping in the same hotel room as me and Feli."

"Why? You two like to get up to-"

"Gil! That is their business, not yours, and I certainly don't want to hear it either!" Matthew interjected.

Gilbert looked up at him innocently. "Mattie, birdie, I was only teasing-"

"I know that you goose!"

Before Gilbert could come up with a crushing reply, Ludwig cleared his throat to remind them that he was still present and did not want any more makeouts in his house. Matthew blushed, and Gilbert stole a kiss from him before turning back to his brother.

"Have you convinced Feli that stollen is the greatest Christmas food ever, yet?" he asked brightly.

"Gilbert, why would I make stollen in the middle of August, it is nowhere near Christmas time." Ludwig gave another sigh.

"Vatti used to make it year round," the albino reminded him.

"Do you and Matt make it year round?"

"Yes, we do, and Lovi has added some flair to it," Matthew jumped in. "He added the candied fruits back into the recipe, and when Gil refused to eat it, he said he wouldn't come over until he did!"

Raising an eyebrow at his brother, Ludwig asked, "You mean to tell me that the candied fruit was why Vatti always made two batches of stollen?"

"What did you think it was?" Matthew asked before Gilbert could answer.

"I assumed it was the marzipan. Gilbert always was a stickler for texture." Ludwig shrugged, then smiled. "Maybe I will make it more often, I know Christmas is Feli's favorite time of year."

"It's Gil's favorite time too," Matthew teased. He loved how easy speaking with and in front of his boyfriend's brother was. Even before they started dating, Ludwig was always very polite to him.

At this point, Gilbert was shrinking back into the couch. "Would you two cut it out!" he exclaimed as soon as there was a break in their conversation. "I am right here you know!"

"You brought it up, dear brother," Ludwig said, still smiling. "Any other foods you would like to tell me you alter?"

"He absolutely loves my velveeta mac and cheese, and convinced Lovi to start making it for him!"

"One of the Vargas brothers, making something other than traditional pasta and meatballs? That is something I have to see." Ludwig allowed himself a loose smile, then sat up straight.

A loud crash came from the kitchen, then muffled screaming in italian floated into the living room. The three looked at each other, then quickly got up and ran to the kitchen, where Lovino was sobbing on the floor surrounded by a spilled pot of bowtie pasta.

Feliciano was clearly telling him off, and both Ludwig and Gilbert stood in the archway stone still. Matthew noticed Lovino starting to curl up into himself, and pushed past the brothers into the kitchen. In that moment, Feliciano switched back to english to scathingly say to the canadian, "and I bet he's dating you too," before muttering under his breath.

Matthew ignored Feliciano, pulled Lovino off the floor and put an arm around him. As he led him out of the kitchen and out onto the adjourning patio, he yelled back to Ludwig, "Please control your boyfriend!"

Snapping into action, Ludwig grabbed for Feliciano, who was starting to follow Matthew out of the house, and held him back. This naturally caused him to start yelling at the german, but Ludwig paid no attention to him. Gilbert took the opportunity to cross the kitchen and follow his partners.

Matthew had led Lovino off the patio and toward the extensive gardens behind the house. He was murmuring soft reassurances to the brunette, and could feel him relax more with each step. Glancing behind him, Matthew saw Gilbert standing on the patio, watching them.

"Do you want Gil with you, Lovi?" the blond asked, and only got a terrified wail in response. "Okay, it's okay he won't join us, okay?"

When Lovino nodded quickly, Matthew looked back to Gilbert and shook his head. Gilbert nodded and sat down on a patio chair to wait out the storms. Looking at the crying country in his arms, Matthew returned to whispering comforting words.

They walked into the gardens, and found the center of a stone-path circular labyrinth. By the time they reached the center, which had a lovely carved wooden bench, Lovino had calmed himself enough to talk.

As they sat down on the bench, Matthew asked softly, "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Lovino nodded, then said, "First he commented on the pasta I had put into my pot of water. He… asked why I was… why I was…" After a shuddering breath, the italian was able to continue. "He asked why I was making farfalle, and when I told him you and Gil like that stupid mac and cheese, he told me… he told me that wasn't really pasta!"

Matthew hugged him tightly, and rubbed his back soothingly. "He's wrong, you know, farfalle is pasta, even if a more americanized version."

"I know, I know," Lovino said between two more sobs, "I just want him to love me! He's hated me since the whole thing with that fucking Spain!"

As Lovino broke down again, Matthew gently kissed his forehead and held him.

"What happened with Spain does not define you," the canadian said softly when Lovino had calmed again. "You are so strong for having come through that situation as this person."

"You really think so?"

"Yes Lovi, I do." Matthew gave him a soft smile.

"Can… can we talk about what happened?" Lovino whispered.

"Yeah, we can. Do you want me to just listen, or give advice?"

"I don't fucking know Mattie, just… just don't leave me!" Lovino threw his arms around a very surprised Matthew.

"Hey shhhh, it's okay, it's okay," Matthew tried to soothe. "Let's talk, okay?"

Nodding, but not releasing the canadian, Lovino said, "It wouldn't have been so bad if he helped me clean or cook or fucking anything… you and Gil, you help me clean up after I cook, and Gil taught me that damn velveeta mac and cheese recipe."

Matthew nodded, smiling into Lovino's shoulder.

"And every night was some stupid spanish dish, or my special Vargas rigatoni!" the italian continued, "I had to figure everything new out on my own. And I couldn't experiment and make new recipes. And I fucking hated that bastard! It was so bad one night he said he'd just… fuck me until… until I figured it out…"

Matthew gasped. "Lovi? You never mentioned that before."

"No." Lovino whispered after a second. "I… I'm sorry Matthew, I couldn't. I'm just… it killed me. It fucking scared me, Matthew." He shuddered, and Matthew thought for a second that he was going to throw up. "He did it. The next day."

"Lovino, look at me." The blond gently pushed him back and lifted his chin. "I promise, I swear on everything in this world, that I will never let that man near you again."

Nodding slowly, Lovino looked back at him and gave him a harsh smile. "Wait 'til Feli finds out. He will fucking murder him, even if countries can't be murdered."

"Are you going to tell Feli?" Matthew asked.

"I think he needs to know why rigatoni is such a goddamn trigger."

"What about what just happened with him?"

"Mattie, this is more important than Feli's judging me for having a partner who has a partner. Hell, he already thinks you're my partner too."

"I don't blame him, he's too traditional to understand polyamory."

Lovino nodded, then smiled more gently. "I'm ready. Would you hold my hand, and also tell Gil what I'm going to do? I… I'm so damn scared that if I talk about this I'm going to throw up."

"Did you throw up, before?"

"Yeah, it's a flashback type thing now. I fucking associate vomiting with… that." He stood, and pulled Matthew up beside him. "Grazie, Mattie."

They smiled at each other, then hugged tightly.

"Let's go back in, okay?" Matthew said when they came apart.

As they walked back to the house, they were met half way by a very anxious Gilbert. Once Matthew told him the plan, he joined them in their stroll back into the house.


End file.
